Search

I’m a sucker for quirky fashion details, which is why I’ve been itching to wear a cute pair of socks with heels. The only problem? I have a drawer full of socks that I’ve collected over the years, but none of them seem to be inspiring me lately. It’s the classic fashion dilemma of having everything, but not the right thing.

I actually first tried the sock with non-gym shoe look back in eighth grade. I had a grade school dance I was going to, and my mom and I went out shopping for an outfit for me to wear. I remember getting a fun pink graphic tee from Abercrombie, a black pleated skirt and a pair of Doc Marten-esque shoes to go with the outfit. My mom suggested I add some fishnet socks that hit just below my knees. I was very hesitant, but she said it would look adorable and very fashion forward, so I went with it (mostly to appease her). When I got all ready for the dance (which was in our grade school cafeteria), my mom had raved about how cute the outfit we put together looked. As someone who had braces, a bad highlight job and zero self-confidence, I was actually feeling pretty good about my “unique” look! Everyone would be in jeans, and I’d be in my fun party look. When one of the mom’s picked me up for the dance, I got in the car and instantly got a lot of stares and questions about what I was wearing. My confidence balloon was instantly deflated, and I couldn’t wait for the night to end. I don’t think anyone meant to be hurtful, but it stung.

It’s kind of funny. When I was growing up, everyone wanted to look and be the same, and if you ever dressed even slightly different than what was “cool” you would get stared at and called weird. Today, it seems like everyone is the exact opposite and what’s to be as different and unique as possible. I wish that mentality would have been more common during my childhood because I spent way too much time and energy trying to look exactly like everyone else! When you get older, you wish you could give your younger self a pep talk and tell them that everything is going to work out just fine.

Fast forward to 2016, and I’m wearing my socks and heels loud and proud! I found this houndstooth pair at a J.Crew in Milwaukee and knew they’d be perfect for my feminine Mary-Jane heels. It’s hard finding the right shoe to wear socks with, but I’d say for me a simple heel is the way to go.

Since I was going for a feminine look, I opted for a bow blouse and houndstooth jacket. I can also tell that we’re getting into the time of year where I start wearing all black and white. Once it gets cold out, my body temperature and fashion choices go into a mourning period. That means mostly black until spring arrives. Hopefully I can break that cycle this year!

About a month ago, my mom and I took a road trip to visit my brother in Milwaukee. I mentioned on my Instagram about a month ago that my family had to put Oscar, our beloved family pet of 15 years, to sleep. I haven’t written much about it because it was the most painful and traumatic thing I’ve ever had to experience, and even typing this is making my eyes fill with tears. Oscar was my best friend and companion, and as much as I wanted him to stay around forever, we also knew how much he had been suffering recently due to his strokes and diabetes.

A few days after we had to say goodbye to Oscar, I was in one of my best friend’s weddings. It was a ton of fun, but trying to put a game face on when you’re grieving is something I now know is extremely hard. Long story short, I was pretty drained. My mom and I decided to escape reality for a few days and drive up to visit my brother. She had visited Milwaukee before, but this was my first trip.

Our trip was short but eventful, and I feel like I got to experience a nice sampling of Milwaukee life. Since the trip was kind of a mental escape, I didn’t take many pictures of the places we ventured, which I didn’t even realize until after we left. I can tell you though, that the food was incredible and the sights were impressive.

Now, onto the outfit choices for the trip. I knew it would be a lot colder up in Milwaukee because it sits on Lake Michigan. I’ve learned from visiting Joe in Cleveland over the years (thank you cold Lake Erie) that the wind chill can be completely mind-numbing, especially for someone who is always cold like I am. My goal was to pack warm and comfy.

I knew we’d be venturing to the lake on this day, so I dressed accordingly. That meant breaking in my new Cocoon coat from J.Crew, which I was more than happy to break out. I’ve wanted this coat for years now, and decided this was the year I was going to suck it up and buy it. It’s probably the best outerwear decision I’ve ever made. This coat is perfect! The color, the simple design, the length. It’s all so good, especially when you need to bundle up but still want to look put together.

Ever since this trip, I have been living in my J.Crew coat, and get compliments on it wherever I go. I know this is one of J.Crew’s staple coats, and if you’ve ever toyed with buying it, I can vouch that you won’t regret it. Another thing I’ve been living in are these incredible Rebecca Minkoff loafers. They’re black patent leather, and I think I’ve worn them every single day in November. There’s something so effortless and chic about a good pair of loafers.

I decided to do something social this weekend, which is very unlike me once it starts getting colder (I go into hibernation mode when it’s cold). Miraculously, it’s been so mild here for months, so it’s made me more willing to venture out instead of curl up in bed come Friday night. Not only was the weather enticing, but I was also invited to check out the newly opened Finery Dress Boutique in Over-the-Rhine. Finery is a dress rental boutique that allows you to rent out gorgeous dresses at an affordable price. As someone who attended a ton of weddings this year, I can attest how pricy finding the right dress can be. Renting a dress instead of buying one you may wear once or twice is genius, and their selection was incredible. I look at a lot of clothes, and was impressed at the unique selection Finery offered. Check it out Cincinnati ladies!

Molly, Elise and I decided to grab drinks after visiting Finery, and it was so nice to get together and catch up with my blogging friends.

Since I took a bit of a “blogging break” in October, I have a lot of outfits that haven’t made an appearance yet on my blog. This has been one of my favorite outfits I’ve worn this fall, and it’s definitely because of all the feminine pieces paired together. I actually bought this Banana Republic bow blouse way back in July, but had to wait to wear it until it was more seasonally appropriate. The bow is detachable, which is so nice since this is a perfect layering blouse.

I’ve been a bit brooch obsessed ever since I inherited some of my grandma’s brooches when she passed away a few years ago. I bought some new ones recently, including the sparkly one I’m wearing in today’s post. Brooches are my favorite accessory at the moment. There’s so many ways to utilize them!

Another feminine piece that has quickly become a closet staple is this J.Crew pink and purple houndstooth skirt. I absolutely love the colors and the pattern. It’s a fun take on a classic print. Usually once it starts getting cold I begin to wear more simple black pieces. I have a feeling though that these feminine pieces are going to be on constant rotation this season!

Long time no blog! I feel like 2016 has been one big hiatus for me, but my schedule got crazy again the past few weeks. When my calendar started filling up at the beginning of the year, I already knew October was going to be my busiest month. Well, here we are mid-month, and it’s just as insane as I predicted. Last week was spent in sunny Orlando for a real estate conference. It was about 90% work and 10% fun, but if you’ve ever been to a conference you know it’s 0% downtime to get stuff done. We tacked on an extra day after the conference for lounging, which was much-needed and incredible. Next up on my whirlwind October agenda? The Cutler Real Estate awards banquet in Canton later this week, a weekend trip to Cleveland for Joe’s birthday and then one of my best friend’s weddings that I’m in the following weekend. Just typing all that made the panic set in. Sure, most of it is fun stuff, but all that traveling can wear a girl out!

I’m starting the week with some fresh fall baubles. I recently met up with my friend Tara Lea Smith to see the gorgeous pieces she’s been creating the past year. If you want me to paint a pretty (and sparkly) picture, when I got home I immediately laid all of the necklaces across my bed to start doing some outfit brainstorming. Yes, I have so many new pieces that they took up my entire bed. I’m excited to share them with you over the next few months!

First up is this colorful purple, pink and yellow statement maker. It’s actually been pretty warm here, which is totally cool with me. I decided to keep it warm on top and breezy on the bottom, pairing a fitted grey turtleneck with a pleated leather skirt. I also recently rediscovered these mules that I got back in spring and had totally forgotten about. Score!

It took me about 30 seconds to add this Alice + Olivia dress to my cart on Shopbop. Browsing the new arrivals at Shopbop has become a new (and dangerous) hobby of mine, but I like to think it paid off this time.

I look at a lot of clothes, and after awhile everything starts to look alike. To me, this colorful striped dress broke the mold, and I’m all for splurging on items that don’t look like anything I’ve seen before. Another justification when I go the splurge route is versatility. If I can think of multiple ways I can wear something, the odds of me buying it go way up. With this Alice + Olivia dress I thought of four different outfits instantly, which is nice because my fall and winter dress selection is kind of lacking.

I didn’t get any good close-up shots of these Kenneth Jay Lane earrings, but they were a recent “just because” gift from Joe and I love them! I haven’t gotten any new jewelry in awhile, and these are a nice new addition. For as much jewelry as I own, I really don’t have anything too colorful. These are fun, and the perfect complement to this statement-making dress.

Has anyone else been struggling during this first full week of fall? Not only has my energy level gone way down for some reason, but I’m already cold at all times. The temperature has only dropped like 10-15 degrees, but the heat in my car has been on full blast every day. Even more sad is the fact that my space heater has also been blasted on high when I’ve been at the office. I’m in for a long six months!

Happy Monday, everyone! If you love fashion and live in the Cincinnati area, then you’ll want to keep reading today’s post.

This Saturday, Modern Makers and Urban Blooms are teaming up to host the Style + Sustainability Gala. Taking place in a 100,000 square foot industrial space, the event will feature a moss catwalk, 25 designers, local vendors and food trucks. There’s also going to be “living walls” created by Urban Blooms, which I am extremely excited to see. I’ve admired their work for awhile, and love the idea of having a wall garden.

I’m going to be there along with some of the other Thread Cincinnati members. We’d love to meet you! For more information on the event, check out the Facebook page. To get tickets, click here.

Today is the day I’m officially making the switch over to fall fashion. It makes me sad to hang up my summer clothes and saw farewell to the warm weather, but I have to admit I’m excited to take my fall clothes for a spin. If we could keep September weather for the rest of fall then it would be the best of both worlds.

I’ve already been stocking up on some new fall pieces, and one of them is this incredible J.Crew corduroy mini skirt. I have a good amount of corduroy pants, but this is my first skirt in the fabric. Joe (my boyfriend) is obsessed with corduroy, and I think of him every time I see it. I love the length of this skirt because it’s appropriate for work, but short enough that it’s also cute for non-work occasions.

I feel like once a new season starts, it takes awhile to find your style groove. I kept looking at myself in the mirror in this outfit and feeling like something didn’t look right. I felt weirdly uncomfortable, but I think I’m just trying to get adjusted to these heavier clothes.

One of the things I feel like I’m always lacking is shoes. I have a ton of them, but never the “right pair”. I think we’ve all been there. I practically live in my Mary-Jane heels this time of year, but wanted to switch it up (and also I’m really worried I’m going to wear out the soles of my favorite shoes). Block heels are my absolute favorite thing at the moment, because they elongate you while still making you feel stable. I always feel like a baby deer when I’m trying to navigate in high heels, so I hope this block heel trend stays around for awhile.

I saw these Rebecca Minkoff heels and it was like my dream shoe had come to life. They have the Mary-Jane strap and it’s a low block heel. Score. This is my first time wearing them, but so far they’ve proven to be incredibly comfortable!

To this day, one of the most satisfying situations in life is when I find something in my closet that I had totally forgotten about. I always feel like I hit the fashion jackpot when I score something freshly rediscovered that hasn’t seen the light of day in a few years.

My latest find? This denim mini dress that I bought my freshman year of college! Yes, this bad boy was purchased in from Forever 21 in 2008, and worn probably a total of two times. Since I was on a college student’s budget back then, most of my shopping took place at Forever 21. I remember a massive Forever 21 opening at a brand new shopping center during my freshman year at UD. This place was magical. It was two levels and felt like the size of a department store. Dayton, Ohio isn’t exactly a shopping mecca, so having a good Forever 21 nearby came in handy.

I shot this look a few weeks back when my mom and I went to lunch at Sotto. You can read that post here. It was pretty toasty out that day, and it was that point in the summer where you feel like you’ve already worn everything too many times. I dug deep in my closet, and saw this dress peeking out. It was the perfect daytime dress, and I spiced it up a little by adding this Tara Lea Smith necklace (doesn’t it look like an expensive Lulu Frost piece?!) and some heels. I’ve also been living in these lucite sunglasses from Banana Republic for the past three months. I had been looking for a pair that worked with my face for years with no luck, and finally settled on this pair that I love.

On another note, I’m finally starting to feel better after having strep throat all last week. It was rough, but I’m crossing my fingers I’ll somehow bypass the same illness once fall and winter hit. I’m relieved I won’t be bedridden anymore, but am a little nervous about all the work I have to catch up on. Time to get to those emails…

Are you like me and putting an insane amount of pressure on yourself at all times? It’s pretty obvious that I have totally slowed down on my blog the past few months, and I cannot tell you how guilty I feel about it. I’ve been blogging for almost four years, and this is by far the worst I’ve ever been about posting. Even though I’ve had good reason to not post as much (health reasons, being insanely busy with real estate), I’ve still been putting a crazy amount of guilt on myself. For example, I’ve been battling a nasty case of strep throat and the flu this week. It’s been rough, and although I have been completely worn out I still feel like I can’t 100% relax because my mind is thinking about all of the things I should be doing (catching up on email, working on my blog). I’ve been working on accepting when I just need to take a step back and slow down, but I’m not 100% there yet. I think too that summer makes everything a little bit harder. We’re all trying to live it up in the nice weather, and by Labor Day you’re just drained. As much as I love the nice weather, I think I’m ready for a slow down. Blogging was always relaxing and therapeutic for me, and I want to get back to that place!

On a fashion-related note, this outfit epitomizes my feminine style. I’ve always had a soft spot for bows, but I went on a bit of a bow bender this summer, buying way too many tops tied with a bow. This J.Crew ruffled top caught my eye online, and it took me all of three minutes to add it to my cart. A girl knows a good bow when she sees it. I actually took these pictures in July (more proof of me falling behind this summer), and wanted to post it before it’s totally out of season.

I’ve seen a few other bloggers sporting it as well, and I can attest that it was a good purchase. The material is ponte, which I love because of its thickness. It’s been a work staple for me lately.

Another piece I’ve been looking to add to my closet is a black fit and flare skirt. I have one already, but sometimes it feels too heavy and bulky. I remember trying on the BCBGMaxazria Ingrid skirt a few years back, and loving how it felt. It’s pretty fitted around the waist, but the flare is just too perfect. I saw the black version pop up on Shopbop recently, and knew this was the one.

It’s funny, usually I am all about color from spring through summer, but I’ve been going a lot more neutral lately. I don’t know why the sudden change of heart, but I like the potential of mixing and matching my black and white pieces. Knowing me, this could all change in a week. We’ll see what the season change brings!

One of my major fashion weaknesses has always been bell sleeves. There’s something so flirty and feminine about them, and I’m all about the feminine touches. My biggest problem is I have to remind myself not to buy all the bell sleeves because I could easily fill my closet up with them.

I know I’m super late to the game on this one, but I discovered Reformation in the past few months, and have been totally hooked on everything they make. I love that everything has a simplistic feel to it, and that you can put your own personalized touch on it. I’ve gotten more and more into buying basic pieces that I can mix and match each time I wear it. This Bristol top from Reformation came in a cream color, black and this red and white striped version. I really wanted all three, but thought this striped one was the most different from anything I have.

I was a little worried about getting something so form fitting, but this has been surprisingly comfortable! It’s ribbed and has a nice stretch to it, so it’s pretty comfortable. I don’t have any Labor Day plans yet this weekend, but if something comes up I’m for sure pulling this out for the occasion.

I also wanted to mention a fun event happening tonight if you live in the Cincinnati area! Thread Cincinnati is teaming up with SIA Spa to host a night of pampering and champagne. There’s going to be tons of great spa specials taking place, including: